Ronald Charles Long
Memorial: Thornbury & District Museum: 6th Maritime Regiment Memorial
Regiment: 6th Maritime Regiment
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Gunner
Parents: Samuel and Rose Emma Long
Home address: London
Date of birth: 1921
Place of birth: East End, London
Date of death: 08/03/1943
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated Plymouth Naval Memorial Devon and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 21
Further information:
Ronald was born and raised in the East End of London.
On the day of his death, Ronald was serving aboard the Yugoslavian steam merchant ‘Vojvoda Putnik’ which was struggling to keep up with convoy SC-121 following storm damage sustained the previous day. The vessel was on route from New York to Loch Ewe, Scotland carrying a cargo of 7900 tons of wheat and battle tanks as deck cargo. At 16.21 hours on the 8th March 1942, the vessel radioed to say that she was sinking about 600 miles from Cape Farewell and later that evening was spotted by U-boat U-591 who finished her off with 3 torpedoes. The ship finally sank at about 21.22 hours and an American destroyer the USS Greer was ordered to assist. But failing to find any survivors in a search lasting less than an hour the destroyer left the area to re-join the convoy. All 46 men on board were lost, including Ronald. There were no survivors. Ronald was originally reported as missing which was changed to presumed killed in action 12 months later.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/2732.html